So has anyone made the switch from the 35lb Subaru battery to these <5lb lithium batteries? I'm about to bite the bullet and wanted to see if I was the first or if someone else on here has tried it already. I'm looking at getting the Shorai LFX36A3-BS12 and mounting it under my passenger seat. I'm going to install a distribution block from Knuconcepts under the hood where the old battery was to power everything. Anyone tried this battery yet or another Lithium Iron Phosphate that they could recommend?
Pound per dollar I think this is one of the best weight saving mods to do....especially if you need a battery already. Here's a link to a few FT86 people making the switch....don't agree with leaving it in the engine bay though. http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32544 Another post from s2k on the Shorai http://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/953085-battery-relocation-project/ I got a shipment of wire and stuff from knuconcepts and rewired my stereo over the weekend. While I was doing it I went ahead and ran everything under the seat for the new battery also. I'll update this thread when I pull the trigger on the battery, still cant decide on size.
Just giving you my experience with light weight batteries. I've ran 2 lightweight battery for a span over two years. Each one lasting about a year. Not sure if my car is not wired correctly and just drawing to much power, or this is just the way lightweight batteries work. As for electronics, I'm running -3 x Defi Guages -Double Din Headunit (blue-tooth/GPS/ETC) -Wideband guage -55w Ballast HID There's one thing I've notice with running the battery. You MUST daily drive your car everyday (I mean everyday) for your battery to operate under it's 2 year manufacturing warranty. My first battery....my car was down for like a week. I went to crank it up and it didn't start. Had to jump the car, but then the battery couldn't keep up it's charge and I had to replace it. Same story with the second battery. I left the second battery on a battery tender to, but still no luck. Yes the weight saving is amazing, but I've already spent close to $300 within two years replacing the batteries because they died on me. I'm now running a full size Optima which I spent $130 on and they have a life expectancy of 3-5 years...maybe more. The lightweight 14lb odyssey battery that I bought didn't even last me a year.
Were you running AGM batteries or Lithium batteries? And where were they mounted? I ask because most people who had problems with AGM batteries like the Odyssey battery, were due to the batteries being kept in the engine bay where the heat kills them. There are a few NASIOC members with 6+ years on them when mounted in the car. I was planning on getting a tender because my car only gets driven on the weekends at best, but supposedly if you have no parasitic draw these new lithium batteries should stay charged indefinitely...in theory. I've read of people leaving their car for a few weeks and coming back to crank it just fine....not usually the case with AGM though.
yea that could have been the case. It was an AMG battery mounted in the stock location so that in itself could have killed the battery. I should have done more research. I've now relocated the battery to the trunk, but just running a full size battery now.